Display box



Sept. 29, 1931. BENBOW 1,825,332

DISPLAY BOX Filed Sept. 25 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 miiim 9 Sept 29, 1931. D. F. BENBOW 1,825,332

DISPLAY BOX Filed Sept. 25 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 29, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DAVID F. BENIBOW, OF READING, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO YOCUM BROTHERS, INC., OF READING, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA DISPLAY BOX Application filed September 25, 1930. Serial No. 484,457.

My invention relates to boxes and particularly to paste-board boxes in which goods, such as cigars, are packed for shipment and display.

An object of my invention is to provide such a box with a prop to support the box in oblique or tilted position to better display the contents of the box.

A further object of my invention is to support the lid of the box in raised position to display a label within the lid of the box.

A further object of my invention is to provide means by which the prop may be alternatively projected to box-supporting position and retracted within the box.

A further object of my invention is to efiect the projection and retraction of the prop by the opening and closing of the box lid.

A further object of my invention is to provide a hinged lid for the box and provide means by which the prop is projected to box supporting position when said lid is raised.

A further object of my invention is to provide a brace to hold the lid of the box in open position.

A further object of my invention is to provide a prop of obtuse angular formation.

A further object of my invention is to provide a stop at the base of the box to limit movement of the prop.

A further object of my invention is to provide an abutment for the brace to limit movement of the lid when the latter reaches the desired raised position.

A further object of my invention is to pro vide a prop which may be bent substantially parallel to the base of the box.

A further object of my invention is to provide a prop which may be bent at the base of the box and when bent serve as a locking means to retain the cover in raised position.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view the lid raised.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the box with the lid raised.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the box with the lid closed.

Fig. 4 is a section of the lower portion of the body of the box.

of the box with Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the box with the props bent into locking posit-ion.

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section of the box with the props bent into locking position.

The box has a rectangular bod 1, with side walls 2 and 3, a rear Wall 4, a ront Wall 5 anda base 6.

Within the body of the box is a flange 7, lining the vertical walls of the body of the box and extending above the upper edge of the same as at 8.

The box has a lid 9 comprising a top 10, side walls 11 and 12, rear wall 13 and front wall 14. Upon the inner side of the cover is a label 15.

The back wall 13 of the lid is connected to the rear wall 4 of the body of the box b a hinge 16 (see Fig. 2). This hinge preferably is an integral part of an ornamental paper cover pasted on the box (not shown).

The lid is so proportioned that when in closed position the lower edges of its walls rest upon the upper edges of the walls of the box body and the inner surfaces of its walls fit snugly over the projecting part 8 of the flange 7.

As so far described the structure is a familiar type of paste-board box.

By slightly bending the side walls of the flange 7 away from the walls 2 and 3 of the box body, recesses 17 and 18 between the flange and box body are provided as shown best in Fig. 6. Positioned in the recesses are props 21 and 22, each made of a single piece of thin, bendable metal, such as sheet copper or Zinc and comprise each a leg 23 and an arm 24 with a pivot hole 25 at the juncture point thereof. The arm and the leg, while formed of a single continuous piece of metal, are arranged at an obtuse angle to one another as shown in Fig. 2. An eyelet 26 passing through the pivot hole 25 and the side of the flange 7, pivotally secures the prop to the flange.

Carried by the walls 11 and 12 of the cover 9 are braces 27. Eyelets 29 connect the braces to the walls of the lid for pivotal movement. Eyelets 31 connect the free end of the arms 24 to the braces 27 for pivotal movement.

The base 6 of the box is slotted on each side below the space defined by the flange 7 and the side walls of the box. The slots 83 and 34: extend from the rear edge of each side wall to a point less than half the length of the lower edge of the side wall, the ends of the slots (see Figs. 2 and 4) forming stops to engage the props 21 and 22 and limit the forward movement thereof. The arms 24 and the braces 27 are so proportioned and the eyelet pivots 29 and 31 so positioned that when the lower edges of the lid walls 11 and 12 are raised to a position approximately at an angle of 135 degrees to the top edges of the side walls .2 and 3, the edges of the braces 27 will strike the ends of the top edge of the rear wall of the box 4 as shown at 36 (see Figs. 1, 2 and 5). This forms a positive stop for the lid and takes the strain as the hinge.

The props 21 and 22 are of such a length that in their protruded position they, together with the lower edge of the front wall of the box, will support the base 6 of the box at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to a level supporting surface.

In use the box is filled with cigars or other merchandise. Upon raising the lid of the box, the props are automatically projected. In this open position with the box placed upon a level horizontal surface, such as the top of a show case, the box is held at an angle effectively displaying the contents, and the lid bearing the label is held in vertical position immediately above the contents of the box and therefore conspicuously displayed in close proximity to the goods.

IVith the lid in raised position the protruded props may be bent inward against the base of the box as shown at 37 in Figs. 5 and 6, the material used for the props, thin bendable metal, assuring the easy bending of the props and permitting them to lie close against the base. In this position the box may be placed on a level surface such as the inner shelf of a show case, the lid with its interior label tilting back at an angle of approximately l5 degrees to the vertical, in which position it is effectively displayed to a person looking down into the show case. l/Vith the props bent under the body of the box, it will be evident that the braces, arms and props form a cradle or frame in which the box body is held and connected to the cover, so that in using the cover of the box as a hand hold to lift the box, as is the customary method used in lifting a box out of a show case, the cradle or frame receives the weight of the box and the strain is taken off of the hinge connecting the cover with the box body.

As will be apparent from Fig. 2 of the drawings, the pivot 26 when the lid is raised is, relative to the surface upon which the box is placed, positioned forwardly of the pivot 31 (to the left in Fig. 2) As a result of this construction, there is no tendency for the props to fold when pressure is placed on the inside base of the box as may happen in handling the contents of the box.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statute, I have described the principles of my invention together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof, but I desire it understood that my invention is not confined to the particular form of apparatus herein shown and described, the same being merely illustrative, and the invention can be carried out in other ways without departing from the spirit of my invention and within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, a box having a lid and a body, said body having a side wall and an interior flange, said wall and said flange being spaced apart to form a recess, hinge means connecting said lid and said body to permit said lid to be raised to open position and lowered to closed position, a prop pivoted to said body and adapted to be alternativelyprojectedbelowthe base of said body and to be retracted within said recess, a brace pivoted to said lid and to said prop, said brace moving said prop when said lid is moved.

2. In a device of the character described,

a box having a lid and a body, said body having a side wall, a base and an interior flange, said side wall and said flange being spaced apart to form a recess and said base being cut away below said recess from the rear edge of said side wall to a point approximately half the length of said wall, hinge means connecting said lid and said body to permit said lid to be raised to open position and lowered to closed position, a prop pivoted to said body adjacent the forward limit of i said cut away portion of the base, said prop being adapted to be alternatively projected below said base and retracted into said recess, a brace connected to the lid and to the prop, said brace moving the prop to projected position when the lid is raised, and said prop engaging said base at the forward end of the cutaway portion when in fully projected position, whereby said base forms a stop to limit further movement of said prop.

3. In a device of the character described, a box having a lid and a body, hinge means connecting said lid and said body to permit said lid and said body to be raised to open position and lowered to closed position, a prop pivoted to said body and adapted to be alternatively projected below and retracted above the base thereof, a brace pivoted at one end to the lid and at the other end to the prop, said brace moving said prop when the lid is moved and the edge of said brace engaging said lid and said body at the juncture point thereof, to limit movement of said lid.

4. In a device of the character described, a box having a lid and a body, hinge means connecting said lid and said body to permit v said lid to be raised to open position and lowered to closed position, a prop, said prop comprising a leg and an arm arranged at an obtuse angle to each other and pivoted to the body of the box at the juncture point of said leg and said arm, said leg being adapted to be alternatively projected below and retracted above the base of the box, a brace pivoted at one end to the lid of the box and at its opposite end to said arm, said brace moving said leg to projected position when said lid is raised, the pivot connecting said brace and arm being positioned rearwardly of the pivot connecting said prop and the body of the box when the lid is in raised position.

5. In a device of the character described, a box having a lid and a body, hinge means connecting said lid and said body to permit said lid to be raised to open position and lowered to closed position, a prop attached to the lid and the body and adapted to be projected beyond the base of the box when the lid is raised and retracted above said base when the lid is lowered and to be bent when in projected position angularly to the side wall of the box to lock the lid in raised position.

6. In a device of the character described, a box having a lid and a body, hinge means connecting said lid and said body to permit said lid to be raised to open position and lowered to closed position, a prop attached to the lid and the body and positioned in a recess in the body, means to project said prop out of said recess when the lid is raised, said prop being of bendable material adapting it to be bent over the edge of the recess when in projected position to lock the lid in raised position.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

DAVID F. BENBOW. 

